THE SQ3R METHOD OF STUDY

The title for this study this study method is abbreviated to make it easier to remember and to make references to it more simple. The symbols steps in the SQ3R method, and a description of each is given below.

S Q R R

1) SURVEY

2) QUESTION

3) READ

4) RECITE

Glance over the heading in the chapter to see the fee major points which will be developed. This survey should not take more than a minute and will show the three to six central ideas within the chapter. This survey helps you to organize the ideas as you read them later. Now begin to work. Turn the first heading into a question. This will arouse your curiosity and increase comprehension. It will help bring to mind information already known and help you to understand the section more quickly. The question will make important points stand out from the explanatory detail. Turning the heading into a question can be done the instant you read it, but it demands a conscious effort on the part of the reader. Read to answer that question. Read to the end of the first section, not by passively plowing along, but by conducting an active search for the answer to your question. After reading the first section, look away from the book and try to briefly recite the answer to your question. Use your own words and cite an example. If you can do this, you know what is in the book; if you can't, glance over the section again. An excellent way to do this reciting is to jot down very brief cue phrases in outline form on a sheet of paper. NOW REPEAT STEPS 2, 3, AND 4 FOR EACH HEADING IN THE SECTION. THAT IS, TURN THE NEXT HEADING INTO A QUESTION, AND RECITE THE ANSWER BY JOTTING DOWN CUE PHRASES IN YOUR OUTLINE. READ IN THIS WAY UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE ENTIRE LESSON. When you have completed the assignment in the manner described above, look over your notes to get a bird's-eye view of the points and their relationships. Then check your memory for content by reciting the major subpoints under each heading. An excellent way to check your memory is to cover your notes and try to recall the main points. Then uncover each major point and try to recall the subpoints listed under it.

5) REVIEW

These five steps of the SQ3R method of study (survey, question, read, recite, and review), when polished into a smooth and efficient method should result in the student reading faster, picking out the important points, and fixing them in memory. The student will find one other worthwhile outcome: quiz questions seem boldly familiar because the headings turned into questions are usually the points emphasized on quizzes. In predicting actual quiz questions and looking up the answers beforehand, the student feels that s/he is effectively studying what is considered important in the course. Robinson, Francis P. Effective Study. 3 rd edition. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1960.